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Despite heated election, Boulder residents can move forward together

By Sean Maher

Special to the Camera

Posted:
11/07/2015 09:30:59 AM MST

Sean Maher For the Camera

The election last week was a milestone in Boulder history. The voters strongly rejected the notion that density is ruining our city and should be stopped. Not only did 300 and 301 fail decisively but every city council candidate who supported them lost as well. Clearly the majority of Boulder citizens want to move forward into a vibrant, inclusive future and not cling to the past. They voted to live in a progressive community that adapts to a changing world instead of building walls to hide from it.

For those who voted yes on these measures out of fear, they should take comfort knowing that Boulder already has the toughest growth limits in Colorado and some of the toughest in the nation. For decades, we have made it challenging and expensive to build just about anything in this town and that is not changing. The loss of 300 and 301 at the ballot box will not translate to rampant growth.

In fact, the spurt of new projects over the last few years is due largely to pent-up demand from years of inactivity during the recession. For example, two of the four new buildings underway downtown were planned to be finished back in 2009 but were put on hold. Once they are done, there are no more currently in the pipeline. So for those who fear the current pace of building will go on forever, take a breath and relax. It will soon slow down to a slower and less intimidating pace.

Other frustrations voiced by supporters of these measures include an unresponsive council and increasing traffic congestion. These are legitimate concerns, but let's consider ways we can work together as a community to address them. Here are just a few interesting ideas I've heard lately.

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For those who supported 300 out of frustration that their neighborhood is not represented on city council, let's think about creating districts to even the playing field.

For example, the city could be split into six districts with one member elected to represent each area. There would also be three "at-large" seats voted on by the entire community. This would ensure that Table Mesa, east Boulder, etc. have a voice on council. There is nothing radical or new about this concept. It is common in cities both large and small across the country and it works well. Our voters have rejected this concept in the past but maybe it's time to reconsider?

For those who supported 301 out of frustration with traffic congestion, consider this. The traffic-reducing train we were promised but will never get is just one example of RTD short changing Boulder. Boulder County pays significant FasTracks taxes and gets very little reinvested back in our region. Most of our money goes to fund trains in Denver, Lakewood, Lone Tree, Littleton, etc. Maybe it is time to explore splitting off and creating a separate northwest transit authority to keep our money closer to home and build a better system to serve Boulder and Broomfield counties.

Consider that Fort Collins manages its own transit system and, by all accounts, its service is far more efficient, responsive and cost effective than what we currently get from RTD.

These are just a couple of ideas on ways that we can work within Boulder and within our region to take on some of the challenges the future holds. You might think they're crazy and maybe they are.

However, the voters made clear last week that Boulder will not stand still while the world moves forward. Our growth will be smart, targeted and yes limited. But it will come so let's put aside the bitterness of the recent campaign and move forward together.

Sean Maher is the CEO of the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District and Downtown Boulder, Inc. Views expressed in this column are his own and do not reflect the position of either organization. He can be reached at sean@dbi.org.

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